11 Things To Know About Renting a Scooter in Cozumel

In March 2019 a trip to Cozumel was one of the first things I did on my big Yucatan Peninsula trip. The first two nights I got stuck in Playa del Carmen and when I wanted to escape the hustle and bustle I decided to take a ferry to Cozumel and rent an amazing condo at El Cantil Cozumel. After some snorkel trips I decided to rent a scooter on Cozumel to explore the island in search for deserted beaches.

First I will sum up all the things to know about renting a scooter in Cozumel including where to rent it, the price of renting a scooter, where to go, places to visit and more. Finally I will share my own experiences about scooter rental in Cozumel and tell you what I ended up doing and how I liked exploring the other side of the island. I will include some secret travel tips I found while driving around Cozumel on a scooter.

Rent a scooter in Cozumel tips

Honestly I expected more about renting a scooter in Cozumel or maybe I should I expected more life on the East Coast of Cozumel. Basically there is not much to do on the other side of the island apart from deserted beaches, some bars, beach clubs, etc. The complete East coast is deserted in such a way that there is literally nothing, but exactly that is its charm. It was my own fault I actually expected too much, so don't blame Cozumel! In fact it is actually is a hidden gem full of raw nature. If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the West coast it is great to rent a scooter in Cozumel and start exploring. For those traveling Yucatan Peninsula on a budget you can camp out here in the wild. Find a spot and spend the night here for free..

Even though the east coast of Cozumel is off the beaten path there still is a phone signal available to update your Instagram stories. Curious what is the best network and sim card in Mexico then click on the link and I will tell you prices and network coverage maps. Going off the beaten path is my middle name and after my trip to Cozumel I rented a car and completed this Yucatan itinerary, full of amazing places to see like: Isla Holbox, Costa Maya Mahahual, Rio Lagartos, cenotes around Valladolid, Bacalar and many more.

11 Things To Know About Renting a Scooter in Cozumel

1. Where to rent a scooter in Cozumel

When taking the ferry from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel lots of touts were already trying to make me rent a scooter or car and on the streets you will find them walking around as well. It is pretty easy to find someone how wants to rent you a scooter in Cozumel, but finding it for the right price is a little harder. I advice you to bargain and ask for prices from a couple guys.

If you are coming from a cruise ship you can basically just walk off the terminal take a left and then the first right. This is the street where I also rented my scooter at El Chacal. In this street there are about 4 rental companies and you have a good bargaining position.

If you arriving by ferry from Playa del Carmen you walk to the left and also the first right and there you will find heaps of scooter rental companies. See the above map or just go to Google Maps and type in scooter rental Cozumel in the search bar.

2. Price for renting a scooter in Cozumel

I was offered a scooter for a day on Cozumel between $25 and $75. It comes down to your bargaining skills how much you will end up paying. Try to pay in pesos if you can and negotiate in Spanish if possible. Most scooter rental companies in Cozumel charge around $40 for a day and they go down to $30. But walk away from those as it is possible to get a scooter much cheaper. In the end I haggled the price for a scooter in Cozumel down to 350 Pesos, which is about $18 USD.

As I said try to arrange in price in Pesos and may you be from a cruise ship arriving in Cozumel then pretend you are not and you are from some hotel around. Cruise ship passengers always pay more sadly!

3. Easy to drive

Once you are on the road it is an easy job. The island is completely flat and there is apart from the main street between the ferry and cruise terminals in Cozumel hardly any traffic. Once you drive out of San Miguel de Cozumel you will find deserted roads. When you drive on the beach road there is even less traffic.

4. Wear a helmet

Although driving on a scooter in Cozumel is easy you should always wear a helmet. Not only for your own safety but also because it is mandatory by law.

5. Drive carefully

You are on a sightseeing tour anyway so no need to rush. But obey the max speed limit of 60 km/h. On my scooter trip in Cozumel I saw a bunch of police, but no one looked interested in us. I have rented scooters in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia where police would just stop you for being a tourist. In Cozumel it was very laid-back and the police didn’t even look at us. Just follow the rules and don’t give them a reason to stop you.

6. Be aware of speed bumps

Damn there are many and just as many are not well sign posted. Especially in the center area there are speed bumps everywhere. Just drive slowly and keep an eye open for speed bumps.

7. Easy to navigate

There are only a couple roads in Cozumel and there is basically only one that is circumnavigating around the island. It is impossible to get lost, but just in case simply use Google Maps. It even works offline if you download the Cozumel map when you have Wifi. The road around the island is 63 kilometers long and easy to complete in a couple hours including stops.

8. Gas is cheap

My whole day around the island cost my like 3L of gasoline which was a total of 60 Pesos so only $3 USD.

9. Great Cozumel day trip

Although there is actually not that much to see on the other side of the island renting a scooter in Cozumel was a great day out. The deserted beaches and the endless beach roads on the East of Cozumel are great to unwind. The hammocks at the Coconut Bar and the Rasta Bar are totally worth it.

10. Flexibility

Renting a scooter gives your more freedom than renting a car in Cozumel. You can basically stop everywhere and park you scooter, with a car it is much harder to find a place to park on the East side of the island.

11. Where to stop

There are a couple places to visit in Cozumel on a scooter that I would recommend:

Punta Sur Eco Park

Unfortunately they charge a hefty $16 entrance fee otherwise I would have checked it out myself. They claim to use the fee for conservation of the most southern tip of Cozumel, so at least that is a good thing. There is a lighthouse which can be entered and it is possible to climb to the top for amazing views over the Caribbean Sea.

Freedom in Paradise Reggae Bar - Rasta Bar Cozumel

Next to the entrance of Punta Sur Eco Park there is the Rasta Bar and very much recommended to stop for a drink or even have lunch. I had a great time swinging in one of the hammocks. A little further down the road there is Bar Miami, a more basic but a little cheaper.

Playa Punto Chiqueros

The most unspoiled and beautiful beach on Cozumel. Endless white sand and at times massive waves. Not the best for swimming but perfect to sit, back, relax and have the beach for yourself. Visiting Playa Punto Chiqueros to me is one of the best things to do when renting a scooter in Cozumel.

Coconuts Bar

My favorite bar around the island. Super chilled vibes here as the staff is super friendly and funny. They are catered to tourists and know how to entertain them. Coconuts is located at about 70% when you drive the 63 kilometer counter clockwise and for me it was the last stop while driving a scooter around Cozumel.

El Mirador

According to some Cozumel blogs one of the best things to do in Cozumel but I disagree. I stopped there just because I passed by. So when you rent a scooter in Cozumel it is a nice place to visit. There is a massive rock sticking out in the ocean which you can climb. Basically it forms a natural bridge, kind of like a whole in the rock! Sounds exciting, right? LOL. Anyway the waves slamming against the rock are massive and it is fun to climb up on top.

Surf spots Cozumel

If you are a fan of surfing then renting a scooter in Cozumel is totally worth it. One of the best Cozumel travel tips are the surfing spots on the east coast. There is hardly anyone and there are several surf spots. Waves can be pretty massive on this side of the island. There is a surf school at Chen Rio restaurant just before Coconuts Bar and there is a quiet little beach next to this as well.

How to get to Cozumel

When you are not arriving by cruise ship you are most probably arriving by ferry from Playa del Carmen. There also is an airport, but not that many tourist arrive by plane. There are ferries from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel daily at every hour and there are two different companies. Basically a yellow boat and an Orange boat and boat are very modern catamarans. They offer return tickets everywhere in Playa del Carmen, but it is best to just show up and buy your ticket on the spot. It will save you 33%. Return tickets in the ferry terminal can already be bought for around 300 Pesos where they cost 400 Pesos on the streets.

Where to eat in San Miguel de Cozumel

When you get back to the main town in Cozumel I recommend you to eat at La Cuisine Cozumel. They have amazing vegetarian dishes and loads of healthy choices. Food here was so good that I went here 3 consecutive days. Definitely recommended to drive here when renting a scooter in Cozumel.

Where to stay in Cozumel

If you are up for an adventure while on your Cozumel trip and want to stay somewhere off the beaten track then have a look at Ventanas Al Mar. This is the one and only hotel on the East Coast of Cozumel and literally next to Coconuts Bar. The name translates to Windows to the Ocean and since the sunrise is on this side of the island I bet it is one of the most romantic places to stay on Cozumel.

Rent a scooter in Cozumel travel blog

We decided to rent a scooter in Cozumel after we googled some cool spots on the island and we wanted to escape the crowded and touristy side of Cozumel where all the cruise ships dock. We thought there must be much more to do in Cozumel but after all I am all about going off the beaten path and exploring.

On our quest to find a cheap place to rent a scooter in Cozumel we ended up with a local on the side of the street who took us to his rental place after we bargained a good price. As we just wanted to drive around the island and explore a little bit we only needed the scooter for about 6 hours so our bargaining position was pretty good. We ended up paying 350 Pesos ($18) and the guy was pretty flexible about the drop off time.

The scooter came with a full tank of gas and the guy from El Chacal was very helpful as he pulled out a map and explained us all the highlights of Cozumel. There are a bunch of Maya ruins on the island, but all of them charge heavy entrance fees ($15-$20). Kind of the same price as Chichen Itza, one of the 7 world wonders just a stone throw away on the main land of Yucatan. Therefore we decided to skip all the Mayan sites. All we really wanted was to find cool places to visit on the other side of Cozumel.

We headed South from San Miguel de Cozumel, pretty much the center of the island where all the cruise ships and ferries from Playa del Carmen arrive. On our way South we took the beach road instead of the main road, it was very quiet and we passed groups on e-bikes. Renting an e-bike over a scooter would also be an option. But to go around the island is 63 kilometers, so may be a little too much even on an e-bike.

The southwest coast was not that spectacular apart from the multiple beach clubs we passed. Probably like 5 to 8 of those really big and touristy beach clubs where you can even get all-you-can-drink packages. May be cool if you are with a taxi, but not when you rent a scooter on Cozumel. After all drinking and driving is also prohibited in Mexico.

We skipped all the beach clubs and got to the most Southern tip of the island where we found the Rasta Bar and Punta Sur Eco Beach Park. We wanted to have a look around, but they charge an entrance fee of $16 per person.

An easy decision as I think this is something for someone looking for a day trip on Cozumel. We walked into Rasta Bar a much better decision. When you walk in here you understand straight away it is one of the coolest places to visit in Cozumel. It is all about the relaxed vibe, the music and the people in here. This is what I was looking for in the Caribbean.

After a drink we continued our scooter trip in Cozumel and headed northeast to the our next stop: El Mirador. It was just nice to stop and see it, but I wasn’t impressed that much to be honest. We climbed the rock sticking out in the ocean, took some photos and jumped back on our scooter again towards another highlight of Cozumel:Playa Punto Chiqueros beach.

This beach is considered the best beach in Cozumel and really long and of course deserted. This is the perfect place to park your scooter on the side of the road and feel young, wild and free again. There is literally nothing around here for endless kilometers. You can also find some surf classes along the East side of the island.

Later we ended up in Coconut Bar, a lovely bar and our favorite on our Cozumel scooter trip. We stopped in several other beach bars, but Coconut Bar was our favorite. This is also a great place to grab lunch. We hang out quite some time here as we liked it a lot and then continued our way back to the San Miguel de Cozumel to complete our loop around the island.

I drove the circumnavigating road around the island counterclockwise. These are the prices for drinks and food on the east coast of Cozumel: tourist prices of course.

I hope my scooter rental Cozumel tips were helpful for planning your trip to this island. Let me know if you have any specific questions. Please help me in return by sharing this link somewhere on the internet. Every share on Facebook, tweet on Twitter or pin on Pinterest is very much appreciated. Thank you very much in advance.

Enjoy as many Coronas as you can in Mexico! I definitely had too many on my Yucatan road trip. Curious what I think are some amazing places to see in Yucatan then click on the link for all my recommendations and travel tips for this fabulous peninsula. For amazing sunsets travel to Isla Holbox, one of my favorite Yucatan Peninsula tourist destinations, although I also really liked the Valladolid cenotes.

My name is Tom and my biggest passion is obviously traveling. In 2008 I decided to go on a trip around the world and in 1 year I traveled through 24 countries from North America to South America, New Zealand, Australia and finally South East Asia.

I got back to the Netherlands and saved as much money as I could and in December 2012 I quit my job again and ever since I am traveling the world. I have now been to almost 100 countries and this website and my social media accounts help me to travel the world. Traveling makes me a better person with ever day I am on the road. Don’t waste time live now, go out and explore the world! May you want to help a little please use my affiliate links. Thank you very much!

With this blog I love to give back and help you make the most out of your trip. I hope these tips will help. May you have specific questions please get in touch with me.